None of those words are difficult or obscure. I've seen them all repeatedly right here, well, except for the heat-related one, phlogiston, or whatever it was. Even through the comments, leave it to a self-proclaimed MENSA to add something dull.

If I were the Times, I would turn this into a feature and call it "The Dictionary" or something else pithy and short (maybe just "The Dic"?). And in this feature, I would be sure to use the words "thoughtful" and "sophisticated" a lot in describing the Times' own work.

As far as new words I'd like to see worked into the Times: "felching".

Antediluvian is my favorite word. It's never used anymore, which is sad. (That could be a great commenter's handle). The next Flood cometh. We need to hear some antediluvian thinking about how to ride it out. Even antebellum seems mild compaired to antediluvian.